• A group of House lawmakers has written to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert to urge him not to decommission as many as nine Ticonderoga-class cruisers amidst the big crunch, writes CDR Salamander. That could take a big bite out of the surface force at the same time the Navy is planning to give up four Aegis ships for the Euro-ballistic missile shield, effectively leaving the fleet down 13 cruisers and/or destroyers.